Empathy flows for Surya's kin

Surfers slam the Govt at the loss of yet another Indian's life on foreign soil.

In November last year it was Maniappan Raman Kutty of the Border Roads Organisation who was beheaded by the Taliban.

On April 30, 2006, K Suryanarayan, working for a Turkish construction firm in Zabul, met with a similar fate.

The black-turbaned organisation, which has the tacit approval of Pakistan's ISI, gave India a terse message - leave Afghanistan or face mayhem.

But despite the dastardly killings, India chose to stick by its struggling neighbour and help rebuild it.

The entire episode has left Indians shattered, shocked and angry. And this is how they have reacted.

Harjit Chauhan from Toronto, Canada fumed, "The Indian government was willing to negotiate with the terrorists? What are they thinking? I remember they negotiated with the Taliban and the Al-Qaeda back in 1999. Where did it get them? At least the man was brave enough to try to escape. The same cannot be said of the Indian government. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family."

Cogito from New Delhi held Pakistan squarely responsible for the act.

"The whole world, and particularly India, has to be thankful to the Taliban (if it was the Taliban who murdered the engineer) and Pakistan (which is directly responsible for this particular murder, and which is continuing to support the Taliban and other terrorist groups) for showing what Islamic Jihad is all about."

Valonka Gill from Pune was at his acerbic best while attacking the Indian government for its helplessness to protect Indian life.

"To the family of Suryanarayan, my parents and I send our heartfelt condolences. We too cried at your great loss. To the Indian government, we ask: How many more innocent Indian citizens must lay down their lives in the service of Afghanistan's 'reconstruction' efforts?

"Why is our government so willing to allow its citizens to be mistreated in other countries? Does one have to be an 'Amitabh Bachchan' or a 'Sonia Gandhi' to garner the government's attention to an individual's safety and security, especially in a foreign country?"

"The scene of grief stricken shattered family of engineer late K Suryanarayan is yet another pathetic tale of our helplessness, said S Chakraverty from Hyderabad.

"Foreign diabolical creatures kill us in our own market places, temples, railway stations and even in educational campuses. They kill us so easily within country and also outside. And what follows? Just condemnation by our 'high powered' leaders, words of 'heart-felt' sympathy and some ex-gratia.

"We are now no more than those bird flu chickens who can be killed any time anywhere by anyone for any reason. Is it 'India shining' or 'India bleeding'?", he added.

Pervin Rohinton Kavarana from Mumbai was ballistic in his condemnation of the act by the Taliban.

"The life of a young, budding engineer has been cruelly decimated by the appalling mindless act of the Taliban who are regressing to Stone Age, even as the rest of the world marches forward.

Two years ago, President Bush rightly stated that 'torture anywhere is an affront to human dignity everywhere' and affirmed that 'the United States is committed to the worldwide elimination of torture and is leading this fight by example'.

It is time Amnesty International took grave cognisance of the dastardly acts committed by this tribe with a bucolic mindset which instigates terrorism in the name of religion, thereby creating avoidable mayhem without sufficient reason around the globe, in the lives of the innocent populace."

Soorya from New Delhi said in stunned reaction, "Suryanarayan's family picture too hurt me. I am praying to God for them. What is happening in this world? God have mercy!"

"It is so dumb that about 1,500 professionals and other workers from India risk their lives and families' peace and work in a doomed place like Afghanistan for a few extra bucks," added a surfer writing under the pseudonym Hot Rod.

"Afghanistan cannot be called a country. It is just a wild place run by tribals. The invasions by the Russians and recently by the Americans and Brits have only heightened the lawlessness in that region.

"It is worth living in India, earn a little bit less but remain alive and sane. All Indians should collectively boycott places Afghanistan, Iraq and other lawless regions and leave it to the Americans to clean up the mess.

"Yet another Indian's life sacrificed for, as government puts, it "India's strategic gains in remaining in Afghanistan"... Any takers?"

DisclaimerAll views and opinions presented in this article are solely those of the surfers and do not necessarily represent those of HindustanTimes.com.